Serials and Scenarios ~ My First Author Interview

Pssst. Hey!!!!!

Drum roll. Please.

In my first author interview you can read about my shopping shame and my dream travel idea here. 

Did I mention this was my FIRST author interview in my FIRST book promotion/marketing tour for my FIRST BOOK?!?!?!

Serials and Scenarios ~ The Picture of Perseverance ~ Ane Mulligan ~ Interviewed

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction (try saying that three times fast). She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane resides in Suwanee, GA, with her artist husband, her chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fiction website, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Your journey to published author is a picture of stick-to-itiveness. Share the top most valuable things you've learned along the way in the following areas. 

Spiritually:

The Lord is the Keeper of Dreams. If He has placed that dream in your heart, TRUST Him.

About yourself:

That I could stick with it for so many years without giving up.

About writing: 

Motivation is the key to plotting and characterization. If we have the core motivation, a universal one that readers can relate to, the characterization and plotting will grow from that.

About sticking with it:

The only person who fails is the one who gives up, and then remember to factor in God’s timing. I got my work publishable (according to 4 different acquisitions editors) six or seven years before I got published.  

You wear several hats in Christian publishing and writing. You are a mentor to many, a critique partner, editor, columnist....you get it, my fingers are getting overwhelmed typing now. How do you juggle your duties and responsibilities and keep that lovely smile upon your face? 

You hit it when you said juggle. I have a priorities list, it’s following it that’s hard. LOL I am ADD and a people person. I’ve learned to turn off my email during my writing hours. It’s too hard to ignore. The rest seems to fall into place fairly easily. I’ve found the busier I am, the more organized I am.

What has investing in Christian publishing done for you? 

It’s enriched my life with friendships. I’ve had the privilege of promoting some wonderful, life-changing books. It’s also given me a ton of business networking relationships. That hasn’t hurt my own book promotion.

Where did your inspiration for your series come from?  

From an overheard conversation. Yes, I’ll admit it. I eavesdrop. Most writers do! I heard a couple of young women complaining about their husbands. From those small snippets of conversation, a what if was born. What if a 40-something’s marriage had grown too comfortable; that she felt like nothing more than a sheet-changer, a towel-folder, a pancake-flipper? Fro there, Claire Bennett and the small village of Chapel Springs found life. Claire needed a BFF with a similar problem, and Patsy Kowalski jumped up and waved her hand.

Is there an Ane Mulligan clone in your series? Or do you find yourself completely woven into your stories. Share your thoughts, too, no a or b answers here. 

There are absolutely bits of me woven through my characters. Claire has my move-before-I-think tendency. Patsy has my ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away. But most of Claire came from a blending of three delightful women, who are thrilled with “their” Claire.

What has script/play writing done for your fiction writing skills? 

Nothing except knowing how to write dialogue. Oy vey, was that a hard transition! Show don’t tell? How do you tell a story without telling it? POV? What kind of acronym was that? Pop-out vehicle? Well, you get the idea. It took one long novel (which now lives with the dust bunnies beneath my bed) and several crit partners to complete my education.

If you could be a color from a crayon box or paint strip, which one would you be and why?  (feel free to describe or come up with a name:  (no need to run to Wal-Mart)

Red...it’s loud. I’m loud. I laugh too loud. I talk too loud. What’s left to say about that? LOL

Stripes, lace, polka dots or denim? Why? 

Stripes and polka dots on denim. Denim is soft. Lace scratches. Throwing stripes and polka dots together is flat out fun. But I usually do that in my earrings. I love wild earrings.

Strawberry, chocolate or vanilla? Why? 

I love them all, but vanilla is so rich and creamy. Oh. You’re not talking about ice cream? Well, in that case, strawberry because they’re colorful and make me smile.

If your book becomes a movie, drop some names, who would you choose to play your characters?

Definitely Diane Keaton for Claire. Her character in Baby Boom was where I got Claire’s first characteristics. Things just happened to her! Okay, now I have to make a confession. I don’t watch movies (or so rarely I don’t know who is in them) and I don’t watch TV. I read. Okay, I watch Downton Abbey and HGTV. Am I pathetic or what?

Dream location? Describe your perfect laid back oasis. 

The mountains with a lake view, or in other words: Chapel Springs. It’s exactly where I’d love to live.

You and I share a fondness for pooches. Please share one of your favorite doggy stories. (You can send a picture of a cutie if you'd like.) 

My favorite involves Shadrach (our first English mastiff) and a good friend, musician Frankie Aster (who also became a character in one of my books). When Frankie first met Shadrach, the beast scared Frankie to death by leaping in his face and woofing. That’s all he did, but a 220-pound woof is scary.

For ages, Frankie kept a good distance between him and Shad. But after a while, Shad moved closer. By then, we were sitting at the table, eating chips and salsa. Shad sat beside Frankie, watching every chip go into his mouth.

Finally, after coaxing and teasing Frankie for being a whus, I told him to offer Shadrach a chip from between his lips. Frankie looked at me like I was nuts! But finally, he did. Shad gently took it without even touching Frankie’s lips. From that moment on, they were the best of buddies.

Chapel Springs Revival

With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel.

Everybody in the small town of Chapel Springs, Georgia, knows best friends Claire and Patsy. It's impossible not to, what with Claire's zany antics and Patsy's self-appointed mission to keep her friend out of trouble. And trouble abounds. Chapel Springs has grown dilapidated and the tourist trade has slackened. With their livelihoods threatened, they join forces to revitalize the town. No one could have guessed the real issue needing restoration is their marriages.

With their personal lives in as much disarray as the town, Claire and Patsy embark on a mission of mishaps and miscommunication, determined to restore warmth to Chapel Springs —and their lives. That is if they can convince their husbands and the town council, led by two curmudgeons who would prefer to see Chapel Springs left in the fifties and closed to traffic.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Avoiding the Fellas in White Jackets ~ Michelle Griep

I saw this on Facebook yesterday and it reminded me of Michelle's A Heart Deceived. And that reminded me that she has some more interesting factoids about life back in the day. 

Read the link, read Michelle's article, buy A Heart Deceived and be very thankful you just have to read about it, not live it. 




 

Avoiding the Fellas in White Jackets

My mother took me to a pediatrician when I was five because I spent an excessive amount of time beneath the dining room table talking to my best buddy…Daniel Boone. Yeah, I know. He’s dead. I knew it at the time as well, but that didn’t stop me from having heart-to-hearts with him. In my mind, he was as real as the old cat lady who lived next door, only he didn’t smell as funky.

The doctor vindicated me by telling my mom there was nothing to worry about. I simply had a bad case of a vivid imagination. I don’t dare tell her (or the good doctor) that my gray matter now devises horrific murder scenes in cinemagraphic color—and that I actually make money doing it.

All this to say that writers are a quirky lot. They have to be, or they won’t get paid, which is really interesting because a few hundred years ago, the same twitchy behavior might’ve landed one in the loony bin. It didn’t take much...

Attitude

Husbands committed wives for being “melancholy”. Translation: the fella took a fancy to the hot babe down the lane and wanted to ditch his wife.

Physical Glitch

Yo, mom and dad…got too many mouths to feed and one of them has a slight deformation? Maybe a cleft palate, perhaps? No worries. Pack that kid off to the asylum and voila; one less plate to serve at dinnertime.

Revenge

If someone higher up the food chain has an issue with you, watch your back, buddy. Dueling is against the law, but getting you committed sure isn’t. All it takes is a lie or two whispered into the right ears and you’ll be packing your bags for Bedlam.

Traitorous Tendencies

One of the most famous nutjobs in Bethlehem Royal Hospital was James Tilly Matthews, who was little more than a verbal threat to the crown. Well, to be fair, there was the rumor that he was a double agent, and he did think there was a conspiracy to place bad thoughts into his head by use of an “airloom”, but other than that, he was relatively harmless…unless you happened to be one of the politicians he spoke against and were worried he might froth up the rabble against you.

Getting packed off to a late eighteenth century asylum was about as much fun as stint in a Poorhouse. Many were understaffed, over populated, and the mental health industry itself was in need of reformation—which would and did come, but not in time to help out the heroine in my latest release, A HEART DECEIVED.

Miri Brayden teeters on a razor's edge between placating and enraging her brother, whom she depends upon for support. Yet if his anger is unleashed, so is his madness. Miri must keep his descent into lunacy a secret, or he'll be committed to an asylum—and she'll be sent to the poorhouse. 

Ethan Goodwin has been on the run all of his life—from family, from the law ... from God. After a heart-changing encounter with the gritty Reverend John Newton, Ethan would like nothing more than to become a man of integrity—an impossible feat for an opium addict charged with murder. 

When Ethan shows up on Miri's doorstep, her balancing act falls to pieces. Both Ethan and Miri are caught in a web of lies and deceit—fallacies that land Ethan in prison and Miri in the asylum with her brother. Only the truth will set them free.

Today, writers, daydreamers and silly hearts don’t need to be as fearful about the men in white jackets coming to haul them away. Still, it wouldn’t hurt if you kept all your talk about airlooms to yourself.


A HEART DECEIVED is available by David C. Cook and at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook.

Keep up with the exploits of Michelle Griep at Writer Off the Leash, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Serials and Scenarios ~ A Heart Deceived ~ Review and Insight from the Author

Michelle Griep's latest, A Heart Deceived, is out. Read my review below. And Michelle did some serious research into some slightly unpleasant "practices" back in the day. She shares a bit with us as well. 

Welcome to the Asylum... Treatment for the Mentally Ill and Other Horrific Politically Incorrect Practices of Yesteryear

In the eighteenth century, medical care for the mentally ill was both a remedy and a punishment. What went on behind the ivy-covered walls of most mental institutions makes One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest seem like a five-star hotel stay.

Granted, the majority of doctors really were trying their best to help their patients, but a many of their practices only made things worse. Here’s a sampling of what might happen to you…

Spinning

Think of riding a crazed merry-go-round on steroids. Feeling queasy? This was worse. The “Swinging Chair” is a contraption designed to spin the patient at high speed, which would induce vomiting, bladder evacuation, and eventually lull the poor little buddy into a tranquilized state of mind.

Trephining

Ever had a really bad headache? Just thinking about this course of treatment makes my brain hurt. Trephining is an early form of lobotomy and was actually the first psychosurgery procedure to change socially unacceptable behaviors. Without getting too gory, just picture a huge drill bit hovering a breath away from your skull—only it doesn’t hover for long, if you know what I mean.

Shock Treatment

There’s nothing electrical about this kind of shocking treatment. The patient was left blindfolded on a platform, waiting, and waiting, and then bam! Suddenly the platform falls and he plunges into a tub of icy water, which was intended to shock the brain back into normalcy. Noise shock treatment was used as well, wherein an individual was again blindfolded and then without warning, a cannon behind them was shot off.

Besides these three, there was the usual bloodletting, purging, binding, and the attempt at good ol’ hypnosis. All this to say, an asylum was best avoided if at all possible—which is exactly what the heroine in my latest release, A HEART DECEIVED, is trying to do…

Miri Brayden teeters on a razor's edge between placating and enraging her brother, whom she depends upon for support. Yet if his anger is unleashed, so is his madness. Miri must keep his descent into lunacy a secret, or he'll be committed to an asylum—and she'll be sent to the poorhouse. 

Ethan Goodwin has been on the run all of his life—from family, from the law ... from God. After a heart-changing encounter with the gritty Reverend John Newton, Ethan would like nothing more than to become a man of integrity—an impossible feat for an opium addict charged with murder. 

When Ethan shows up on Miri's doorstep, her balancing act falls to pieces. Both Ethan and Miri are caught in a web of lies and deceit—fallacies that land Ethan in prison and Miri in the asylum with her brother. Only the truth will set them free.

Fortunately, the mental health industry has come a long way since then, but if you’d like a glimpse into the roots of present day psychiatric care, pick up a copy of A HEART DECEIVED, a timeless tale of love, lies and redemption.

A HEART DECEIVED is available by David C. Cook and at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook.

Keep up with the exploits of Michelle Griep at Writer Off the Leash, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

My Review of A Heart Deceived.

Michelle Griep has written about knights and Vikings in previous books. Both were fascinating time travel twisted romance novels. Her latest, A Heart Deceived, focuses in on just one time period, Georgian England. She paints a rich picture of social divisions and prepares the soil of story for characters who are struggling with more than just feelings and relationship issues.

Miri, her female lead character finds herself in a situation where she is a single woman at the mercy of her brother who seems to be slipping into insanity. He plans to wed her to the most repulsive man in the town because that man is willing to take Miri on. And willing to take any liberty he can when he manages to get Miri alone.

Ethan, a barely reformed opium addict, finds Jesus after being saved from the streets by John Newton. Ethan's friend, Will, is Miri's brother and after a tragedy, Ethan sets out to find her and break the news and hopefully find a safe haven away from the brutality of the streets.

Griep masterfully weaves a tale of intrigue and tension set within a darkly romantic era. Her characters are three dimensional and compelling. I found myself turning pages as quick as I could and reading just-one-chapter-more and okay-one-more late into the night.

I loved the mini history lessons lived out through the characters' lives and the ending was satisfying. I'm impressed with Griep's skills and strengths. A few scenes in the book will likely be too intense for the gentle reader. Griep peppers her word weaving with some spicy attraction scenes and some sense layering that includes visuals and olfactory details about the mean streets. There are characters who spend some time in a brothel, and obviously there is mention of drugs, addictions and side effects. In addition, there are some scenes that could be disturbing to self-diagnosed literary chickens. Consider the book a PG-13 rating. However, this is a great read for folks interested in English history, those who love a riveting story and rich characters. Need a plane or a beach read, this would be a perfect one. Cook, you continue to impress me with the novels you are publishing.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Bonnie Calhoun's Cooking The Books ~ Blog Tour

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Cooking The Books Abingdon Press (April 2012) by Bonnie S. Calhoun

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As the Owner/Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Bonnie has helped use the 220+ blogs of the Alliance to promote many titles on the Christian bestseller list. She also owns and publishes the Christian Fiction Online magazine which is devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. She is the Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). At ACFW she was named the ‘Mentor of the Year,’ for 2011, and she is the current President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network. Bonnie is also the Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and HTML as recreational occupations. She also has a novel coming out in the Abingdon Quilts of Love series. Her novel Pieces of the Heart will publish August of 2013.

Bonnie and her husband Bob live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?”

A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Cooking The Books, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



If you'd like to read interviews with Bonnie, try these:
Everbody Needs A Little Romance
A Christian Writers World
Novel Rocket
ACFW - Fiction Finder


MY THOUGHTS:

Sloane Templeton finds herself book-ended by problems. Her mother passed away leaving a bookstore, a grieving daughter, a cast of quirky characters, and a rare book behind.

If that wasn't enough, Sloane also has a recent divorce under her belt and an ex-boyfriend who didn’t mind giving her a good belt when she needed it. Sloane is attempting to heal and figure out life. But circumstances keep her on her toes, and her emotions on eggshells. The new man in her life seems oh so perfect, too perfect? An offer exists for the bookstore property, and the sales force seems a little too eager to slide that sale through. Sloane’s Aunt Verdene holds the interest of the law enforcement and fire professionals in her neighborhood…and an occasional hoodlum.

This novel has sass and lots of it.  Quirky supporting characters show up in every chapter. Sloane grows from insecure to a new awareness of steps she needs to take to ease the chaos in her life. Verdene does not blow up a section of her block. Sloane discovers the true meaning of the word neighbor. And, the book ends on such a note that there better be a follow up or two.

Readers who go for quippy, sassy Chick-lit style reads will want to check into sassy Sloane. Folks who like both heavy topics and t humor in the same novel might find Calhoun’s handling of some serious issues cathartic. Mystery lovers who want t’s crossed and I’s dotted might feel frustrated with the open-endedness of the final few pages. Not for the clean-cut, feel-good inspirational fans, the subjecmatter got a little tense in a few spots.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Michelle Griep's Undercurrent

Here comes the weather just begging for a book to curl up with. Here's another one for you to gander at...





Undercurrent
By Michelle Griep
Published by Risen Books
ISBN-13: 978-1936835027

Description:

Professor Cassie Larson leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked down into a swirling vortex...and a different century.

Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn't commit-or did he? He can't remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn't in his plan.

Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik's innocence. He didn't count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik's absence.


Reviews: "Michelle Griep has done it again. Undercurrent is a gripping historical romance that fulfills every expectation. Easy to follow and laced with adventure, Griep captivates readers by taking them to 10th century Norway and immersing them in the dangers of the Viking world." --Jill Williamson, Christy Award-winning author of By Darkness Hid

"Thoroughly enjoyable! A thrill ride back in time to the days of the Vikings. Ms. Griep's historical research is evident as she weaves a plot that will both grip your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat. Unexpected twists, a passionate romance, battle between good and evil, and a brutal realism that is refreshing all combine to make Undercurrent a book whose story will stay with you well past the last page. Michelle Griep is an exciting new voice among Christian Romance and a welcome change to the standard fare." --MaryLu Tyndall - Christy nominee and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King's Pirates series

Undercurrent rates up with the top 10 books I've ever read. I fell in love with the characters, quirky Cassie, heroic Ragnar, loyal Magnus, and host of others. It's the most creative time travel story, romantic and completely mesmerizing. Griep is such a descriptive writer, you easily suspend disbelief, diving head first into the story and traveling through time with Cassie. I didn't want it to end and can't wait for the sequel. Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation: a MUST read.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan, Editor Novel Rocket




My Review:


Looking for an escapist read? This one might be the complete ticket.

A unique, well-written time-travel that is full of heart-pounding action/adventure and romance. Add to that humor , both dark, and laugh out loud. Characters that you either want to pat on the head and put in your pocket, if only they’d fit, and ones you’d like to strangle populate this read. Finally, descriptive elements that will make your eyes water for various assorted reasons and a whip-snap plot-line that zings with intensity. Those who love a great story need to consider adding Undercurrent to their must read list. However, if you don’t like your fiction populated with an occasional bag of guts or peppered with a little bit of Jesus, you’ll maybe want to pass.

Find out more about Michelle at her website, via previous visits at Scrambled Dregs and at Novel Rocket.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Gina Holmes's Dry as Rain ~ Review

Dry as Rain
Gina Holmes
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (August 17, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414333064

Description:

From the bestselling author of Crossing Oceans comes a powerfully moving story that tests the limits of love’s forgiveness. Like many marriages, Eric and Kyra Yoshida’s has fallen apart slowly, one lost dream and misunderstanding at a time, until the ultimate betrayal finally pushes them beyond reconciliation. Just when it looks like forgive and forget is no longer an option, a car accident gives Eric the second chance of a lifetime. A concussion causes his wife to forget details of her life, including the chasm between them. No one knows when—or if—Kyra’s memory will return, but Eric seizes the opportunity to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.


My Review:

Dry as Rain is a completely different book than Gina Holmes’s freshman release, Crossing Oceans, but it is as well-written as thought provoking as Oceans. Told in first person male voice, this story explores the theme of death, like Oceans, but the death is a slow, lingering death of a marriage. By the time the reader is introduced to the characters the marriage has crumbled into full separation, it is at the point where those who vowed to love til death do them part now revile the very faces that made those promises. Bitterness, blame, misunderstandings and selfishness have replaced all that was good and promising in the marriage.

These hindsight-wisdom tinged details all come out through the inner thought life and conversations of the husband, Eric. The wife, Kyra is in no position to share her thoughts with the reader because an accident has left her without memories of the rancor. Because she believes that their marriage is what it once was, the doctor suggests that the couple reconcile temporarily until her memory begins to return. Eric is given a chance at a do-over. But can he possibly win back his wife’s heart before she sees the disaster of what their marriage has become?

Holmes successfully weaves in some story elements that would be soap-operish if not written with skill and capable hands. I was also impressed with the honest grit that Holmes realistically portrayed. The characters are an authentic mix of likeable and frustratingly selfish at times. Kyra is not as fleshed out as Eric because the story is written in his POV. There are themes in this novel that will make some want to avoid it as it hits heavy in areas that some Christian fiction sidesteps around. There are also Christian themes of redemption and forgiveness that might push some folks away as well. Quite a bit of time is covered in the novel, so there are months covered with just a few pages, but as much as that takes away from the intimacy, it does help with reader emotions. If you are seeking stories that stick with you and leave you with hope. This is one of those. Tired of the sugar-coated, sit-com-simple style of inspirational fiction that falls flat and leaves you hungry for honestly drawn, broken, but forgiven people struggling through life’s struggles by clinging to grace, then this is one to look into.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Herman-u-tics -- Kathy Herman

Kathy Herman dropped by with a whole lot of fun and fascinating comments/creations. Hope you enjoy her thoughts as much as I did. Scroll down to Monday's post to read the first chapter of The Real Enemy. Thanks, Kathy. Lots of fun.

Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?

Hmm…my characters have so many problems I’m not sure I’d want to be any of them  Seriously, I loved Ellen Jones in the Baxter and Seaport Series. Her character allowed me to use MY voice. I didn’t agree with all her views, but I could still speak in my own voice. That made it easy.

If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

This is tough. I’ll probably think of a hundred things later. I’d love to know what Lazarus experienced when Jesus called him back to this life.

If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?

I would go back to my first, Tested by Fire, and rewrite the story with only four points of view instead of a myriad. It would have been even more powerful. I learned about POVs later in my career.

What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Yellow. Bad day? Black. Which one do you aspire to be? Light blue and calming

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

Nothing clever, just a profound statement from Chariots of Fire. “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” That’s how I feel when I write.

If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

I don’t think ahead about any of my novels so I’m not sure I can answer this with specifics. But I’d probably stay where I am—in mystery suspense. I love to keep readers turning the pages, and this genre is just ripe with desperate people who need biblical solutions. Great for developing sympathetic characters and easy for making the scenarios real and applicable but not preachy.

What period of history intrigues you the most?

The years Jesus walked the earth.

What would you write if there were no rules or barriers? (epic novels about characters in the Bible, poetry, greeting cards, plays, movies, instruction manuals, etc.)

I would love to write a story so profound that it became a classic and outlived me by decades.

What makes you feel alive?

Reader feedback—which makes me realize how God is using my words to affect positive changes and bring people closer to Him.

In a tangible sense, the wonders of nature make me feel alive. The creation draws me closer to the Creator. I love mountains, forests, oceans, meadows—bird watching, star gazing, people watching.

How does something worm its way into your heart? Through tears, truth, humor or other?

I’m a sucker for hurting children. We have a TV station here that airs a program called, “The Gift of Love,” and every week they feature a child in foster care who tells us that what they want most in the world is a “forever family,” that will love them. It breaks my heart every time. Some of these kids have been passed over for years. No child should have to ask someone to love them. <>.

Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood, somewhere else? – and why.

I’d like to go back to Alaska in the winter, lie in the snow, and marvel at the colors of the Northern Lights.

Favorite season and why?

Fall. The colors are spectacular. And the air is crisp enough that the sun feels wonderful (I think I’m part cat).

Favorite book setting and why?

Mountains! I lived in Colorado Springs for fifteen years and I miss those gorgeous peaks. But a seaside setting ranks a close second. What I like is a place I can “stay” (mentally and emotionally) during the time it takes me to write the series—a place I can touch, see, hear, smell, and taste! My favorite place in my books was Phantom Hollow, which was set on the western slope of Colorado.

Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

There have been so many it’s hard to choose. But the one that I’ll never forget came from a lady named Belinda. She wrote to my publisher, desperately wanting to get in touch with me because my book made her want to accept Jesus. I got in touch with her and we emailed back and forth. Later I wrote a sinner’s prayer that she prayed and accepted Christ. When I started writing suspense novels, I had no idea the impact they would have.

What criticism has cut the deepest and why?

A reviewer who had always given me favorable reviews decided that one of my books had too many typos and had been rushed to print and so assumed I had rushed through the writing as well. She stated that right in the review and also said, “Come on, Kathy. You can do better than this.” Thing is, she loved the book and put the sequel on her wish list. She was scolding me for typos—and for that gave me 3 stars instead of a 4 ½. Anyhow, I disagreed with her assessment that I had rushed anything. My copy editors had missed several typos, yes. Shame on them. But the book was my best to date. I had worked my behind off to come up with a compelling storyline. And I delivered. Her remarks really cut.

On the other hand, the weirdest criticism I ever got is that my characters aren’t realistic because they don’t swear and drink. The reader said it was a horrible distraction that they didn’t—this from an elderly woman (a bit crusty, I dare say) who also resented my book being, in her words, “a morality tale.” I don’t think the letter I got was bogus. The woman took great care in handwriting her critique. She was hung up that my characters never swore or had a beer, but overlooked the fact that they very poignantly and realistically dealt with murder, adultery, and the societal problem of gossip. Yep, they were just too clean cut for her.

What would you do today if you knew you had only a week to live?

Tell everyone I love (and some I don’t) that soon I’ll be in heaven, and that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life—and what that means for me and for them.

What is your favorite word?

Chocolate

What word annoys you more than any other?

Like (when used in place of “uh”)

Favorite chore

Folding laundry

Anything you'd do but don't because of fear of pain? What is it? Ex. Bungee jumping, sky diving, running with scissors.

Mountain climbing (fear of extreme subzero temps and frostbite)

Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

As a transplant to the South, I’ve learned to tolerate idioms such as “might could,” fixin’ to,” and “over yonder,” yet I struggle with the Chicago Manual Style of eliminating commas. Sentences look naked without commas. For example, “I might could help you since I’m fixin’ to go over yonder too.”  Weird, huh?

• Societal pet peeve…sound off.

• 
  

• We women let fashion designers strip of us dignity and convince us it’s cool. For example, cleavage (and then some) is in. If you haven’t noticed you’re either blind or dead. I think female professionals look absolutely ridiculous with half their boobs showing. I mean, what man will take them seriously in any profession (other than the oldest one?) Okay, done sounding off.

• 
  

CREATIVE CORNER: Pick any of the following and have fun with it.

Describe something you can see, hear, taste or feel without telling us what the item is.

It rose up from the valley floor, a mighty fortress, formidable and flint gray against the lava-colored sky. Majestic. Mysterious. Immovable—unless one possessed faith the size of a mustard seed.

Frizzy hair, purple scarf and a book – make a character.

Mavis Bloom flopped on the rain-soaked bench at the bus stop, feeling very smart that she was wearing the raincoat-in-a-pouch she had bought at a neighbor’s yard sale. She held the umbrella over her head, her frizzy hair sticking out from under her purple scarf, and looked down Rosewood Lane, hoping to see the eight o’clock bus. She tucked her library book under her arm, and leaned away from the disheveled stranger sitting on the bench next to her. He smelled of whiskey and stale tobacco. She had a ready response, should he ask her for a handout.

[optional]
“We need the rain,” he finally said.

“Indeed.” She shifted her weight. “I wonder what’s keeping the bus.”

“There’s been an accident.”

“How do you know that?”

“I see things.”

She turned and locked gazes with him. “What does that mean?”

The stranger flashed a creepy smile that revealed a row of brown teeth. “Oh…I’m not sure you really want to know.”

Mavis heard the screeching of tires and the horrible sound of metal crashing against metal and of glass breaking. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath and forgot to exhale. Seconds passed. She heard screaming and the sound of footsteps running on the pavement. A chill crept up her spine and her eyes flew open. She turned to the stranger. He had vanished.

A crack broke the stillness as Terri tugged on the frozen door.Ice fell on the top of her pink boot as she squeezed through the opening, her heart beating wildly, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. How far had she run—a mile? Two? She grabbed a chair and wedged the back of it under the doorknob until it felt secure, then pressed her ear to the door and listened intently to the crunching sound of someone walking in the snow. The man with the scar was following her! Everything in her wanted to scream but nothing would come out. From the moment she realized he was studying her at the coffee shop, she knew Jack Stiles had sent him to kill her too.

If Alex had known the body of the senator was in the bathtub, she would've taken Jim's offer for coffee. She didn’t pay for incompetence! She picked up her cell phone and hit the speed dial. Disposing of the body was part of the deal. Did she have to tell him how to do everything? She took her thumb and forefinger and massaged her temples. What a hassle. This was so typical of Monday.

Swirling leaves riding the icy wind, danced up Liesel's skirt. She felt the heat scald her face and heard the Frederick and Leo laughing. Morons, both of them. If they knew what Dougan was about to do, they would be on their knees, begging for mercy. Not that she relished the thought of them dying. But before she met Lady Sarah for tea, each would occupy a shallow grave. Pity. With better breeding, Leo would have made a suitable husband.

The leaves weren't the only things stirred up by the breeze which now carried the cloying scent of death. Revenge was such a power trip. He’d pay for it later. But as long as hell was his final destination, he might as well take whatever he could—including the lives of anyone who got in his way. And they had gotten in his way—all three of them. They’d been warned. Wasting them had been easy.

It was a damp and dismal afternoon. (Yes, as in It was a dark and stormy night : ). Andrew Wicket tucked the Glock into his waistband and stepped over the body of Joe Harper, wondering if Flo’s Diner was still serving tonight’s special.

One of my favorite prologue openings (from my first Phantom Hollow book, Ever Present Danger):

Ivy Griffith stood beside her pink-and-silver snowmobile, her breath turning to vapor in the late afternoon chill, her gaze set on the giant cottonwood tree that marked the secret grave like a towering headstone. She knew that even after the spring runoff came rushing down the mountain, and the Phantom River became like a torrent of baptismal whitewater lifting the impurities and washing them away, the horrible deed that was done here would not be cleansed. Not then. Not ever.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Colleen Coble

Wednesday we got a peek at Colleen Coble's new release, Cry in the Night. Make sure you scroll down and click to read the first chapter if you haven't yet. And visit Colleen's website and the Amazon page for more info. Now. Colleen was kind enough to come and play at the Dregs.

Thanks, Colleen, I love your crayon answer. : )



Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?

Bree from the Rock Harbor books has a lot of me in her. Okay, I don’t have a search dog (but I love dogs) and I’m not short with red hair, but I love pistachios and the wilderness. I’ve got a lot of Native American blood and I’m drawn to places that are still just a little untamed.


If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?

I would change the title of Anathema. People don’t know how to say it or what it means and it caused more confusion instead of illuminating what the book is really about.


What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Bad day? Which one do you aspire to be?

Yellow. I’m an optimist and nearly always look on the bright side. Even on a bad day I’m likely only to tinge a bit to gold. LOL It drives some people crazy but I can’t help it. I’m always aware that God is in control.



If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

I write my favorite genre—romantic mysteries with a strong dollop of romance. I’m blessed to be living my dream of writing what I love to read. I love everything about the writing life—from the promotion to the actual writing.



What period of history intrigues you the most?

Funny you should ask that because the next book I’m going to be working on is a historical novel. I asked my publisher a couple of years ago if I could write my typical novel in a historical setting and my editor recently gave me the go-ahead. I’m still tossing ideas around but I’m particularly drawn to turn of the century novels.


What makes you feel alive?


I am energized by being around other people.


Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.


Book: The Stand by Stephen King. I’ve read it at least 30 times.

Person: My husband Dave. I hate to go anywhere without him!

Food: DeBrand mocha truffles


Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood, somewhere else? – and why.

Australia! I’ve dreamed of going there since I was a kid. I’ve always wanted to see its vast spaces and the Great Barrier Reef.



Favorite book setting and why?

Hawaii is magical place where I feel totally one with God. Maybe because it’s so gorgeous and serene.


What would you do today if you knew you had only a week to live?

I’d spend it making sure my family and friends know how much I love them. And I’d hold my baby granddaughter every minute!



Super power you'd love to borrow for awhile?

The ability to fly so I could zip out to see my daughter in Arizona once a week!



Societal pet peeve…sound off.

I can’t stand the whole political correctness thing. I live in a small town in the Midwest where we don’t hold to such nonsense. LOL I just recently learned the gal who brings my food isn’t a waitress but a food server, according to the politically correct. Hey, SHE calls herself a waitress in my small town. I mean, it’s just getting ridiculous!